RISPERDAL CONSTA is a proven medication with a state of the art delivery system that gives you the same medicine as RISPERDAL (risperidone) pills, but in a form that is given every 2 weeks. RISPERDAL CONSTA can help reduce the positive and negative symptoms that are part of schizophrenia and help you get on the road to recovery. RISPERDAL CONSTA is also the first long-acting form of a class of newer antipsychotics, known as atypicals. RISPERDAL CONSTA is the first long-acting atypical antipsychotic that can help relieve the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. RISPERDAL CONSTA works by reducing many of the symptoms of schizophrenia you may be experiencing. RISPERDAL CONSTA may help you feel more like yourself. With RISPERDAL CONSTA, you get 1 injection every 2 weeks. That's at least one less pill to worry about every day. RISPERDAL CONSTA is a new way of taking oral RISPERDAL® (risperidone) that was not available until now. It gives you the benefits of RISPERDAL in a long-acting, continuous delivery system. The same people with schizophrenia who take oral antipsychotic medications may be able to take RISPERDAL CONSTA. RISPERDAL CONSTA works because of a scientific advancement that puts medicine into "microspheres." RISPERDAL CONSTA is made up of tiny, time-release microspheres that contain RISPERDAL (risperidone). The microspheres break down slowly, gradually releasing medicine into your system, and leave the body naturally. This means you have a steady supply of medicine in your body that can provide you with continual treatment for your symptoms. After the first dose, you keep taking your previous medicine for 3 weeks to give RISPERDAL CONSTA a chance to start working. After that, your health care professional will ask you to stop taking your previous medicine. You should then return every 2 weeks for your regular RISPERDAL CONSTA injection. How do I take RISPERDAL CONSTA? A member of your treatment team will give you the injection at your health care professional's office. You will get your RISPERDAL CONSTA injection in the upper part of your buttock. Will the injections hurt? RISPERDAL CONSTA is the only long-acting injection for schizophrenia that is water based. People taking RISPERDAL CONSTA said that they had little pain and that later injections were even less painful. Does getting an injection instead of taking pills mean I am sicker than I was before? Taking RISPERDAL CONSTA does not mean that you are sicker than you were before. All it means is that you have a new and simple way to take the medicine that can help you manage your schizophrenia. The same people who take oral medicines may be able to take RISPERDAL CONSTA. Taking RISPERDAL CONSTA also means that your treatment team is looking for ways to continue helping you manage your symptoms. New medicines such as RISPERDAL CONSTA help health care professionals offer you more choices in your treatment. How do I start treatment? If you have taken RISPERDAL® (risperidone) before and did not have an allergic reaction, you can get your first injection of RISPERDAL CONSTA right away. After the first injection, you will keep taking the other medicine you're already on for 3 weeks to give RISPERDAL CONSTA a chance to start working. After that, come back to your health care professional every 2 weeks for your next dose of RISPERDAL CONSTA. If you've never taken RISPERDAL before, your health care professional will probably give you a small amount of RISPERDAL to try, just to make sure RISPERDAL CONSTA is right for you. What happens if I miss an appointment? If you miss an appointment, you should contact your health care professional right away to let him or her know that you missed your injection. Your health care professional will then advise you when to come next for your scheduled appointment. Remember that coming to the office for your dose of RISPERDAL CONSTA gives you a chance to talk regularly with your health care professional about how you're doing. Working together with your treatment team is important to your recovery and can help you begin to feel better. Is gaining weight a problem with RISPERDAL CONSTA? In a 12-week study, most people gained only a small amount of weight-about 1 to 3 pounds.

In a study of people taking RISPERDAL CONSTA, the most common side effects were: sleepiness, restlessness, tremors and rigid muscles, stomach upset, constipation, dry mouth, feeling tired, and weight increase. As with any medicine, some people experience side effects and some don't.

Risperdal Consta can be stored at temperatures not exceeding 25°C for no more than 7 days prior to administration.